Friday, September 11, 2009

Meet a New Homeschooler and the Answer to the Bug Question

I’ve discovered a brand new homeschooler and a brand new homeschool blogger. Head over (Not now! Wait until you’re finished here.) to It’s A Grand Adventure and meet Beth, “a teacher of my three children as we embark on this Homeschooling Adventure.” Beth has exactly seven blog entries, so it wasn’t hard to catch up on her new adventures in homeschooling. If you are so inclined, leave her a word or two of support.


I have the answer to the most frequently asked question last week, “Why did Captain Chaos return home with a bug in a jar?” The answer is, “We’re not quite sure.” One of the therapists at Apathy Elementary brings in bugs to show her students. That’s pretty cool. Last Wednesday she brought a Praying Mantis to class. She must have a genuine interest in bugology. That doesn’t explain why the Captain bugged out of school with a ground beetle in a peanut butter jar. There is a good chance that she told the therapist that the insect was “my best friend.” Recently, Miss Chaos has a lot of “best friends.” A sympathetic teacher might allow a child to bring home the bug under such circumstances. It might be that the Captain is a bugnapper, and simply absconded with the critter. I had fears that she was strolling down the hallway when she noticed the beetle sitting on a desk in some first or second grade classroom and simply took the jar. The reason that the paras did not know how she took ownership of the Spongopus verticalis is because the Captain was in therapy for three hours. She spent no time in her preschool classroom. Either way, the pictures show that If You Give a Girl a Bug, you have a very happy girl!


Yesterday, General Mayhem read Psalm 23 to his younger brother. Later in the day, I asked Major Havoc if he remembered the Psalm.


Did the General read to you from the Bible this morning?

“Yes.”

Did he read Psalm 23?

“I think so.”

Do you remember the Psalm?

“I’m not sure.”

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall…

“Have no comment!” he interjected, his face lighting up in recognition.

Psalm 23, aka the 5th Amendment!


General Mayhem asked me for help with proportions in math today. He told me that he did not understand what he read in the book. I sat next to him and read the lesson out loud. He breezed through the exercise after that point. I observed to him that his learning style was similar to his mother’s. His strength is not reading out of a text and comprehending what he reads. His strength is in listening to a thorough explanation and calculating some examples.


“That’s why I struggled so much at school last year. The explanation just wasn’t that good.”

It was an interesting observation for him to make. It also explains a little about why he wanted to return to homeschooling this year. At least in math, the classroom setting did not work well for him. I am glad that he realized what he needed and told us when he did.

5 comments:

Linda said...

Glad to know she wasn't expected to continue some sort of 'bug therapy' at home.
I can't help but read your blog with a Cary Grant accent in my head. :o)

CrossView said...

The world of politics has me claiming the 23rd so much more than the 5th.... ;o)

I'm glad she's enjoying her insect but I still woner why no one knows a thing. =/

Anonymous said...

I love reading about your family. You bring a smile to my day. Hope the bug fares well.

TobyBo said...

I am enjoying your trying to figure out the bug in a jar. My Miss Dog Lover is similarly communicative (ha!) and in her younger days, felt quite fondly about slugs. She used to carry them in her pocket and kiss them.

Kathleen said...

So like my oldest son!! I'll have to get pointers from you once he's the General's age.